


Jester's Dilemma

by Verdic



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Trickster Gods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 18:42:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20232562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verdic/pseuds/Verdic
Summary: Jester asks those she can trust for how to show her attraction to Fjord.All characters belong to their players on Critical Role, as does the setting.





	Jester's Dilemma

Jester hummed to herself as she looked away from the campfire into the dark night. She held her sketch book in one crook arm while she doodled with the other by the light of the fire. Under her quick, precise strokes, two figures started taking form. One was a young teifling woman, her horns and tail marking her apart from most humanoids. Flowing skirts started to form around the hips and a small cape fluttered off the back. The second figure taking shape was taller and thinner. As details began to form, it became clear that the figure was a tuskless half-orc. 

Anyone looking at the figure would ask why the skirts, cape, and hair were fluttering around, rather than hanging down. They would also ask why it looked like the Tiefling was unconscious, wouldn’t it be better if she were swooning?

Yasha wasn’t like most people. As she looked over at Jester’s drawing, she glanced over to the other subject of the image. Fjord was sleeping nearby, muttering in the darkness. When she turned back, she could see both figures had their lips pressed together. “Is that from the temple?” She asked, her gravelly voice whispering across to the blue-skinned artist. 

Jester yelped slightly, fumbling with her journal. Turning a dark shade of purple, Jester dug her toe into the ground. “Maybe…” She bit her lower lip as she looked at the image. “I was just drawing what I hoped getting kissed would be like.”

“But, you have kissed.” Yasha countered, confused.

“I KNOW.” Jester rolled her eyes playfully. “But not with…at least, not while I could enjoy it.”

“I’m not sure he enjoyed it.” Yasha said. She blanched at the withering glare Jester leveled at her. “What I mean was, he wasn’t thinking about kissing you then. He was more worried about you drowning and gave his last breath for you.”

“Oh.” Jester lowered her eyes back to her book. It had been weeks since the temple, and yet she hadn’t gotten any closer to Fjord. She had tried being aloof, then jealous, and neither of those worked. “Yasha, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.” The large Aasimar shifted on her seat.

“When you like a boy, what do you do to let him know?” There was an awkward silence as Jester realized Yasha was into women, and not men. 

“Well, when I liked a woman, I would get her gifts.” Yasha continued past the gaff without hesitation. She knew Jester didn’t mean anything by the mistake. “Everyone excepts me to take things by force, but surprising them with something they don’t expect you to do can have just as much impact.”

Jester nodded, thinking of what she could do for Fjord that he wouldn’t expect. “I think I know what Fjord would like. But what if he doesn’t respond the way I want? Should I use my magic on him? The Traveller said I had that option.”

“No, I…I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Yasha nervously rubbed the back of her neck. 

“What are you two blathering about so loudly?” The ever exhausted, Zemnian accented voice wafted from the pile that was Caleb. He sat up, looking just as tired as when he had laid down nearly six hours before. Frumpkin fluffed his tawny hair and curled up in the warm spot vacated by his master’s body. 

“Jester is wondering how to get Fjord to notice her.” Yasha answered. Jester started trying to deny the claim, but her voice kept getting caught in her throat. 

“Of course he notices you.” Caleb lowered his voice, moving over to where the others were sitting. 

“Not as a friend.” Yasha cut off what was bound to be a long explanation by the wizard. Caleb’s eyes widened with comprehension.  
“Ah, then in that case, yes, he has noticed you.” Jester gasped and rushed over, grabbing Caleb’s hands. “Have you never noticed when you talk to him, he gets either soft or flustered. When he met your Mutter, he was terrified.”

“Well, she has that effect on men.” Jester smiled, raising her eyebrows suggestively. 

“I think Caleb means he was terrified because he was meeting your mother, not because he was meeting the Ruby of the Sea.” Yasha cautioned her.

“Duh, my mother IS the Ruby of the Sea.” Jester shook her head and went back to drawing.

“But if your Mutter had been anyone else, Fjord would have still been as tongue tied. Had he met the Ruby of the Sea without knowing she and you were blood, he wouldn’t have been so overwhelmed.” Caleb sat next to Jester, hands clasped on his crossed legs. 

“Are you saying he and she thought I was bringing my boyfriend to meet my mother?” She squealed in joy. “But, why does he not say if he likes me?” 

“Because, he is a macho macho man, and does not know how to connect to those feelings he has for you. Especially because he thinks of you as so…young as well.” Caleb replied. “You should tell him that you like him.”

“But what if he doesn’t think I have adult feelings for him? What if he sees them as a child’s feelings? If he sees me as too young, he might not reply that he likes me.” Her voice squeaked as she folded into herself.

“Well, that is the risk you take with love.” Yasha shrugged. Jester folded closer into herself. Caleb and Yasha exchanged a look of worry and helplessness over Jester’s back. They knew that neither of them was the right person for this topic. “But it is a risk you should still take. If you don’t, it will fester. If you do, at least you have gotten it off your chest.”

Jester rocked back and forth for a while; journal held close to her chest. Finally, she nodded and moved to her bed roll. As she pulled her blanket over her, she sent a message to her mother. 

“Mom, it’s me, Jester. I have a question about, you know, Love. What did you do when you were in love with Dad? How did…” She felt the spell cut off. Puffing her cheeks out in frustration, she recast the message and continued. “he win you over? I know what I learned from watching you, but I haven’t seen what he did to win you. I…I want.” Again the spell cut out. She glared up to where the Traveller might be watching from. Casting the spell for a third time, she continued. “to actually show someone I love them and I don’t know how to. Can you show me how? I really love him, like, a lot.”

There was a momentary silence before the soft voice of her mother seeped into her mind. “Tell him. We never have as much time as we hope. You deserve to be happy. Is it Fjord? He is a nice boy, and I…” The rest of what she said was cut off from the limitations of the spell. Jester was both comforted and frustrated by the reply. She knew her mother was very smart and wise, so why couldn’t see listen to the whole message?

Frustrated and feeling put out, Jester curled into a ball, her tail twitching in agitation as she slowly fell off to sleep, trying to keep Fjord from her dreams. 

“Hey Jester.” A smooth, slightly cocky voice called to her. Jester bolted upright, excited to hear from the one person she loved more than anyone but her mother. Sitting net to her, his hood pulled up to hide most of his face, was the Traveler. 

“Traveler, you came! I’m so happy! I need your help.” Jester started, words flying a mile a minute from her cerulean mouth. The traveler smiled, holding up his hands to forestall what he was sure would be an hour long, single breath speech. 

“Of course I did. You are my most faithful servant, and you have reached a crossroads. Yet for some reason, you hesitate to make a choice.” He stood up, offering a hand to help Jester to her feet.

Jester took the hand. Confused, she looked at the Traveler. “What do you mean? Is this about Fjord?”

“Of course it is, but it’s more than that.” The Traveler's smile dropped form his face. “My adherents live a life of travel. Settling down, starting a family, not something you often find in my ways or teachings.” He turned towards the fire. “You should know that it would be impossible to have a stable family, having to travel from home to home. You might have a year or two of happiness before the urge to leave would be too great. Is that an experience you want to repeat with Fjord and any children you have?”

Jester’s shoulders sank as his words washed over her. She could feel her chest tightening as her love for Fjord was shown as pure vanity. The Traveler was right. If she was truly a follower of him, she couldn’t have a life with Fjord, at least not one that would be good for the child. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the Traveler’s back. “What did you mean ‘repeat it’?” 

“Well, you’ve already lived through that.” He dug at the ground with his foot. 

Jester’s eyes widened in understandings, only to narrow with fury a moment later. “Are you saying my father is one of your followers? He left us because he couldn’t stay, because you told him to leave?!” Her voice was rising past loud and into the shrill range. “And you knew this! You knew I was looking for him, and yet you didn’t even try to send me in the right direction.” The air around Jester cracked as the temperature dropped sharply and the air compressed faster than it could be filled. “I am mad at you mister! You hurt me and my momma!” She stomped away a few steps before whipping around. “No, you know what! I’m going to make you pay for this. I’m still going to be your number one follower, but you know what, I’m making my own path. I’m not going to blindly follow you. I will make my own path, and Fjord and my mom are going to be a part of it. And so will our children. Fjord and I will have so many children, and they will get into all sorts of pranks. You will have to accept the path I choose.” She crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks in a defiant scowl. 

The Traveler spun, cloak billowing out in the turn. Jester felt her knees grow week, sure that she had just pissed him off and he was about to smite her. When the cloak stopped moving and the light grew bright again, she could see rather than anger on his face, a mercerial smile. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear from my favorite acolyte. As long as you continue to live in the free-spirited way I have taught you, I will be happy to help you. Never loose your youthful exuberance and love of pranks.” Jester laughed, the stress finally getting to her. “How many children were you planning on having? I just want to know how many new pranksters are going to be entering this world.”

“We are going to have SO many children!” Jester, still giddy, chuckled. “So, are you ok if I make Fjord my home?”

“Of course.” He ruffled her hair as he slowly faded away. Jester giggled, tail wagging in happiness.

“Jester, um…not that I’m not flattered by yer affections…but do I get a say in this relationship and apparently immense family yer wantin’ in the future?” Jester froze as Fjord’s voice sounded over the crackle of the flames. Looking around, she saw that the entire party was awake. 

“Howmuchdidyouhear!?” She squeaked out, saucer eyes flickering between her companions. Most of them had guilty looks on their faces, knowing they all heard what was supposed to be a private conversation. The wind picked up, rustling the leaves in the tress. To everyone, it was a loud, noisy gust that filled the silence. But to Jester, all she heard was the laughter of the Trickster God.


End file.
